FFXII Fic: But That Was In Another Country (Vayne/Drace, Gabranth)

[mariagoner]

Say, didn’t I just swear that I wouldn’t be putting up fic for quite a while...?

In any case, you know how fickle we psychology folk are. And here’s a short, five-drabble long exploration of just how an actual relationship between Vayne and Drace could play out that I’m using as a dress-rehearsal for a longer fic (tentatively titled “Judge Drace’s

Comments

[intradependency]

Much like for #4. Very forceful, sharp-edged writing there. Like a papercut.

"...And in the end, she knew she had been more than lucky to have nothing more done to her besides having rather ribald stories of her inability to tell men apart from women circulate through the barracks.

(...Yet again)."

Poor Drace. Poor, poor Drace. XD But ultimately, I suppose this flexibility in her world-view/gender-view is why she succeeded (kind of) in what seems to be strongly a man's world.

Wretch should maybe be retch? (I'm bad like this too - peaks instead of peeks. *shudder*)

Something about the Vayne/Drace that interests me - how did they fall into bed together in the first place? I think that would be the most telling factor with regards to Vayne's character. Does he manipulate events so that Drace is the one that 'asks'? Or does he put himself on the line by being the one who 'asks' (begs), risking rejection?

Vayne strikes me as someone who would never ask something unless he already knew the answer. And the 'sweaty foreigner' line from the last fic...did Vayne presume on Drace's answer and get completely surprised by her new rejection? Did he even (gasp) develop a grudge?

So in case you can't tell from the third degree up above...I think this is particularly interesting. ;)

[mariagoner]

::beams:: I'm glad you liked lucky #4! Honestly, it was the one that game me the most trouble and the one that I had the most reservations about-- if only because it's likely also the most important one in this story. I'm interested in the before and the after in Vayne and Drace's brief love affair-- but it's how they broke up that really fascinates me.

Drace knows no gender boundries! Drace needs no gender boundries! And that's what I love best about this woman, really. ♥

Eeep, you're right about the typo. Shall fix it now. Thank you for telling me! ♥

Ooh, that's an interesting point. I didn't really get the chance to spell out exactly how the affair started so hopefully it'll be accomplished in one way or another in Drace's Last Repose. I rather picture them as being a couple that came together mostly because of the thrill and the challenge of being with each other. They're both highly dominant and assertive people who look down on wallflowers and they both mutually admired each other's competence, charisma, and cunning. Additionally, Drace was seduced by the promise of Vayne reforming the empire in the future (which was dashed by her learning of what he had done to his elder brothers) and Vayne was seduced by the thought of being able to convince someone as noble as Drace of the rightness of his goals. (Which he tries to do with Larsa later on, of course.)

Vayne did, indeed, do the asking-- but it was just as it was when he 'asked' the crowd in Rabanastre to give him their trust. He might have put himself in a vulnerable position but he only did so after manipulating events as much as possible to ensure the answer he wanted for himself. And when Drace finally saw through that manipulation and walked away... it was indeed a blow to Vayne's ego. One that he was never able to forgive-- or forget-- either.

Possibly we could talk this entire crack notion over the next time we see each other on AIM? ;)

And I'm glad you find this interesting! Drace and Vayne being together-- willingly-- is a strange, strange idea in many, many ways. But